By now you may know that Harry Dean Stanton has died at the age of 91. He was an enigmatic character actor who was Jack Nicholson’s best friend, a hero of Sean Penn and David Lynch, and a guilty pleasure kind of character actor you always looked forward to seeing in a movie.

He made a lot of movies, too. Harry Dean started in the classic TV era in the late 50s, and appeared in show after show. He had a kind of dry humor and wan look that made him an easy casting as a fallen soldier, an alcoholic, a grifter. He always looked worn out and later that gave him a kind of wisdom that stretched across his angular face. As recently as this summer he was in several episodes of David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks” reboot (for no apparent purpose except to be himself). At his death he still had two movies in the can including “Lucky,” which co-stars Lynch.

Harry was a cult figure in Hollywood until the early 80s when he finally hit it big in Alex Cox’s clever indie film, “Repo Man.” He followed that with Wim Wenders’ “Paris, Texas,” and “Stars and Bars” (with Daniel Day Lewis), John Hughes’s “Pretty in Pink,” and so on. Suddenly he was one of those guys we were looking for in hip films. Those would come to include David Lynch’s “Wild at Heart,” and “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me” (in which he originated Carl Rodd). He had an outlaw quality that appealed to Hollywood bad boys like Penn and even Charlie Sheen.

Movies won’t be the same without Harry Dean Stanton. But even as a character actor he’d be worth a tribute festival. His arc in film history represents some of the best work ever. He will be sorely missed.

Jon Voight is certainly back in daughter Angelina Jolie’s inner circle. He came with her and the kids to the NY premiere last night of her extraordinary new film, “First They Killed My Father.” (And second, they made up with him. Par umpum!)

Hard to imagine how this whole rapprochement works since Jolie and Voight are further apart on the political scale than Patti Davis was from her parents, Ronald and Nancy Reagan. But maybe it’s a lesson to a lot of families split by the current political climate. Blood is thicker than water. The lesson of family is the underscore for “First They Killed My Father.”

Certainly we learn that from Jolie’s film, which would be hailed as a “masterpiece” if it had been made by Spielberg or Eastwood. “First They Killed My Father” should put Angelina right in the ranks of the top directors– it’s an astounding achievement on a grand level and really deserves a Best Picture nomination.

It’s on the level of one of Eastwood’s best films, “Letters from Iwo Jima.” There is no English spoken. Much of the movie is Cambodian or Vietnamese. A good deal of it is without dialogue as child star Sareum Srey Moch navigates holy hell as the Khmer Rouge threaten to obliterate her country. All the children are exceptional, and you can tell that they really responded to Jolie. The really extraordinary move Jolie makes as a director here is that she has no adults, and no “Stars”– there is no ‘draw’ of a name. You don’t suddenly see a Movie Star show up as guide through the film. That’s how confident she is.

The film is based on a book Jolie bought for $2 the first time she went to Cambodia 17 years ago. “First They Killed My Father” is written by Loung Ung (played by young Moch). Loung came to the Toronto Film Festival and to last night’s NY premiere with one of her brothers, also portrayed in the film. They are a shining example of why immigration is so important. After the harrowing true events of the movie they came to the US and grew up in Cleveland. They are all incredibly accomplished, great successes. More importantly, they are alive and well. Meeting them takes your breath away.

The reunion with Jon Voight certainly comes from the lessons of the film. The whole point of the film– far more than the political– is the fabric of Loung’s family knitting back together. It’s a metaphor for Jolie’s life.

See this movie. And let’s hope it does well enough that brings awards and recognition for Jolie as a filmmaker at last. She deserves it.

Things are not getting better for Tom Cruise’s international release of “American Made.”

The worldwide total is now at $34.4 million for the Doug Liman-directed thriller. It’s played in most countries except China, Russia, and South Korea– Cruise’s go to countries. “The Mummy,” for example, inexplicably made $91 million in China early this summer.

But so far “American Made” has done less well in every country than “The Mummy.” It could be a case of over-saturation– they did just see him in another film that didn’t make much sense. Some people say the title is a turn off, especially with America declaring Trump trade wars abroad.

“American Made” has two more weeks to fill its coffers before its US release. Meantime, Cruise– recovering from injuries that have halted production of “Mission Impossible 6”– has not been seen or heard from all summer. The old smilin’ Tom would have shown up in London for a premiere on crutches. So who knows what’s going on?

All the people involved in the new horror film “Mother!” —  opening Friday–are heavy hitters. Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem have Oscars. Darren Aronofsky has indie cred after directing the beloved “Black Swan” and “Requiem for a Dream.”

So Paramount gave them a huge all-star premiere last night at Radio City Music Hall followed by a no-media after party some warehouse disco downtown. The VIP line to get into Radio City was something unprecedented, too– it snaked down Sixth Avenue and up West 50th St. where it was possible to see any number of famous faces. Said one big name Broadway producer, “You have to have a sense of humor.”

Inside Radio City we ran into lots of well known people from Emma Stone and Greta Gerwig to Edward Norton and Jake Paltrow.

And what is “Mother!” all about? It feels like an update of “Rosemary’s Baby,” with of course lots of cutting edge special effects. JLaw and Bardem are a happy couple living in a beautifully restored farmhouse. He’s a famous writer, she’s in charge of decorating. Then Ed Harris knocks on the door. He says he’s a professor. He also has a bad cough and may be dying.

Shortly after, his wife–Michelle Pfeiffer– shows up looking for him. Then their two sons (actor Domhnall Gleeson and his real life brother Brian), warring over Dad’s will. Bardem lets them all in and encourages their sociopathic behavior while Lawrence suffers and sees things in the walls. (Is it asbestos? Ghostbusters goop? Hard to say.)

“Mother!” is a little episodic, so all of these people eventually vanish when their work is done. That launches the second act, so to speak, which is very “Rosemary’s Baby” although there is no cute Ruth Gordon to befriend JLaw. Jen (the characters don’t have names) is pregnant. Javier is writing the Greatest Poem Ever. But their happiness is short-lived: act three is a gory fever dream in which the couple’s baby is tossed around like a football.

Lawrence and Bardem, of course, are eminently watchable. Aronofsky is almost too clever for his own good but he is never boring. “Mother!” is rich with imagery and subtext and references to literally everything. One bit of casting — a surprise appearance by Kristen Wiig– is disruptive in this meditation. But Aronofsky scores many points, especially about what people sacrifice for fame and adulation.

Great news: The IFP Gotham Awards will honor Nicole Kidman will a lifetime achievement award on November 27th. They say it’s for her “unforgettable iconic performances.” No kidding. No movie star of her generation has been so innovative, daring and courageous– her resume is full of independent and experimental movies. She’s never afraid to try something new. Bravo!

The IFP will also honor Ed Lachman, the great cinematographer and one of my own faves for his work in films like “Carol,” “Far from Heaven,” and work with directors Todd Haynes, Sofia Coppola, Werner Herzog, Jean-Luc Godard, Wim Wenders, Volker Schlondorff, Ulrich Seidl, Paul Schrader, Steven Soderbergh, Robert Altman, and Todd Solondz.

The Gothams ceremony cannot be missed this year! Awards nominees to follow shortly…